U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,707 describes a device for monitoring bearing performance in apparatus having at least one aperture sized and disposed to connectably receive a grease fitting for providing lubricant to the bearing. The device comprises a sensing fitting sized and configured to be connectably received in the aperture. The sensing fitting can include temperature sensing means, vibration sensing means, or both, to enable detection of impending bearing failure.
While the fittings and related methods of use taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,707 constitute an important advance in the art, they do not address concerns about exposure of the sensing means to weather or other harsh environmental conditions over time. Furthermore, integration of the fittings into an electronic monitoring system of commercial scale can prove difficult when sensing means signal strength is important.
A need thus continues to exist for devices which enable the monitoring of bearing performance while enduring harsh environmental conditions and producing strong signals useful in a commercially viable, integrated monitoring system.